Franklin d



P. D. NEWTON. I Manufacture of OhairSeat and Back.

Pat ented June 1, 188-0.

NPEI'ERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINSiTON. o C.

lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN D. NEWTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MANUFACTURE OF CHAIR SEATS AND BACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,377, dated June 1,1880.

Application filed February 2, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANKLIN D. NEWTON, ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Method of Making Chair-Seats, &c.; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, making part of this specification. I

This invention is in the nature of an improvement in the manufacture ofchair-seats, chair-backs, and similar articles of manufacture; and theinvention consists in the process hereinafter described of constructinga chairseat, chair-back, &c.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspectiveview of a roller'with the material for the chair-seats, &c., woundthereon in the process of manufacture; Fig. 2, a perspective view of acylinder of the material after it is taken from the drum; Fig. 3, alongitudinal section of the cylinder; Fig. 4, plan or top view ofchair-seat made by my process; and Fig. 5, cross-section in line .00 as,Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

The purpose of this invention is, more particularly, the construction ofa chair seat and back or tops of tables, sides of carriages, and similararticles by forming a material which can be manufactured and sold as anarticle of commerce in dependently of the chairs or other articles towhich it is intended to attach it.

To that end a sheet of veneer of wood, A, of any suitable size andquality, is moistened and fastened around a revolving drum, a. Thesurface of this veneer, while secured to the drum, is covered with glueor any suitable cement, water-proof or otherwise, and a strand, B, ofthe inner wood of rattan-that is, a strand from the wood of rattan fromwhich the outer surface has been strippedis split lengthwise, and oneend of the strand is secured to the drum, so that, as it revolves, the

strand is wound with its split or flat side down.

upon the glued surface of the veneer, each coil of the strand around thedrum being in close contact with the other, and when the surface of theveneer is in this way covered with the rattan it is taken from the drumand the glue allowed to dry, fixing the rattan firmly to the surface ofthe veneer. The veneer is then split in the direction of its length, therattan being cut for that purpose, when two semicylindrical pieces ofveneer, with their surface covered with parallel and contiguous piecesof rattan, will be had, and these may be fashioned to suit the bottom orback of a chair or top of a table or sides of a carriage, and for manyother purposes to which such material would be applicable.

The rattan strands, as is obvious, may be applied to the surface of theveneer by other processes, which will suggest themselves to themanufacturer; but I prefer the one described as giving the best resultsand being the most economical. In every instance, however, the rattanshould be at right angles to the course of the grain in the veneer,thereby affording strength.

The rattan strips may be glued in short sec tions on a flat surface ofveneer; but the better way is to splice the ends of several rattanstrands together, making one long continuous strip, so that it may becoiled about the veneer,

as before described.

When the seats and backs are in this way formed, they can be attached tothe chair or other article by simply nailing them in place, or the edgeof the seat may be bound in any suitable manner, if desired.

The chair seats and backs, &c., constructed as above are particularlystrong, light, and cheap.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The process hereinbefore described of constructing a material for chairseats and backs, &c., consisting of mounting a cylinder of veneer upon adrum which is caused to revolve, and by wrapping and cementing to theveneer cylinder a continuous strand of rattan at right angles to thegrain of the veneer, then removing the cylinder from the drum andslitting it open, and forming it to the required size and shape,substantially as described.

FRANKLIN D. NEWTON.

Witnesses H. L. WATTENBERG, G. M. PLYMPTON.

